Namesake

Driving through New York state on a shale harvesting trip, I mentioned to Mentor that if we see a sign for Schuyler County we needed to stop for a picture. This is where my parents took my name. According to Mom, generations ago my paternal Danish relatives settled in Schuyler Co., New York. Mercifully my parents loved the name and modified it to make it a bit more feminine. Mercifully because Susquehanna and Hillary constituted options two and three respectively.

Mentor picked up the map and found a way to Schuyler Co., which both provided selfie-sign opportunity and got us to our destination. And yes, we took the “Denmark Exit” off I-86E to get there.

I made my appearance on Father’s Day 39 years ago today making me my dad’s very first Father’s Day present. At the time, he was Jumpmaster in the 82nd Airborne stationed at Ft. Bragg Army Base in Fayetteville, NC. We lived there for two months while my dad finished his time in the service. Apparently I did not like heat or humidity at that age either. On to the next adventure: we moved to Montana.

For my 38th year I gave up that which did me no favor: excessive sugar, excessive alcohol, clutter (including ~2500 pounds of books), low grade back and neck pain, credit card use, and self-recrimination. Nature abhors a vacuum. The extra space in my life filled up with creativity, love, and fantastic adventure. And a few new books.

On my birthday I wish for each of you, dear readers, purpose in work, fun in play, constancy in relationship, and … a few good books.

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1 Comment

I grew up in Elmira NY. in Chemung County right next to Schuyler County. Spent a lot of time there. Don’t know why but I always liked the name Schuyler better than Chemung. I think the name Schuyler is a revolutionary war General.